FAIR's "Hold Their Feet To The Fire" Event Attracts America's Anti-Immigrant Radio Hosts

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) will hold its annual "Hold Their Feet To The Fire" event on April 17 and 18 in an effort to derail immigration reform and stop the passage of a recently-introduced comprehensive immigration reform bill.

The event -- which will host more than 60 talk radio hosts -- will allow the hosts to broadcast live and urge listeners to push lawmakers to oppose immigration reform.

Last year's event played host to many anti-immigrant radio commentators, including several who have announced that they will attend again this year. These hosts have used their platforms to attack immigrants for bringing diseases to America, committing a disproportionate amount of crime, and illegally voting in U.S. elections, and one host even called for the hanging of undocumented immigrants who commit crimes in the U.S. and sending their bodies back to their home countries:

Lars Larson

Called undocumented immigrants "illegal aliens, or as we call them, undocumented Democrats"

Dave Elswick

Howie Carr

Said it would take a politician's child getting killed by a "drunken illegal alien" before politicians "finally figure out that there's a mighty big problem here"

Claimed undocumented immigrants are only here "to vote for the Democrats that Americans won't vote for anymore"

These hosts' comments are not surprising given that they are attending an event sponsored by FAIR. The group has a long history of anti-immigrant remarks and has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group's founder and president Dan Stein, who recently published an error-ridden piece for Politico urging Republicans to "walk away" from a deal on comprehensive immigration reform legislation, has known ties to the nativist leader John Tanton and has received money from white supremacist groups.

Right-wing media outlets are parroting the attacks of an anti-LGBTQ hate group on Connecticut’s openly gay comptroller, Kevin Lembo. Lembo recently sent the American Family Association (AFA) a letter asking the group to submit written documentation certifying it complies with the nondiscrimination regulations governing the Connecticut State Employee Campaign for Charitable Giving (CSEC), which allows Connecticut State employees to contribute to qualifying non-profit charities through payroll deductions. Lembo’s office has since been “flooded” with emails and phone calls from AFA supporters.